The UNESCO Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve was officially inaugurated today, December 4 at Mulualem Hall in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region, located on the southern shore of the lake. Implemented by the Amhara Regional Government, the Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), BirdLife Partner in Germany and Michael Succow Foundation, the project ‘For People and Nature: Establishment of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Lake Tana in Ethiopia’, aims to establish a biosphere reserve that will safeguard the long-term conservation of these valuable ecosystems and at the same time improve the livelihoods of the local communities.
High-profile guests attended the event in Bahir Dar including the President of the Amhara Regional state, Gedu Andargachew, the German ambassador in Ethiopia, Joachim Schmidt, and the Director of the UNESCO office in Addis Ababa, Prof. Dr. Alaphia Wright.
“The number and composition of the participants is evidence of the worldwide significance of the Lake Tana region,” said NABU vice president Thomas Tennhardt on the occasion. The fertile shores of Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake and the source of the Blue Nile, are home to an ancient cultural heritage and unique biodiversity. Lake Tana has thirty-seven islands, twenty of which host churches and monasteries that lie hidden in the remaining native forests. These religious sites are considered sacred and provide refuge and shelter for many rare plant and animal species of local and international significance. However, the ever-increasing pressure on these ecosystems has resulted in land degradation, erosion and the eutrophication of the lake with considerable effects on the floral and faunal resources, NABU said in a statement. Working together with the local communities, the project is creating conservation and land-use plans for wetlands and church forests and planting 200 hectares of forest to act as corridors connecting the remaining areas of forest. Soil-friendly agricultural methods and energy-saving stoves are being introduced to reduce the communities’ impact on the environment while ensuring yields and household energy supply, according to a NABU official.
NABU says it has been actively involved in the conservation of the lake since 2012 and together with the Ethiopian Government and numerous partners, it succeeded in establishing a biosphere reserve which has been officially recognized by UNESCO in June 2015. “We are extremely excited about these news and are now looking forward to the biosphere reserve becoming a model region of sustainable development,” says Svane Bender Kaphengst, director of the NABU Africa program.
The inclusion into the UNESCO’s world network of biosphere reserves constitutes a milestone for the long-term preservation of the region which provides livelihoods for 2.5 million people, representative of NABU says. In addition, it one of the most important wintering grounds for migrating birds such as the European Crane.
The project is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Read more about the Biosphere Reserve here.
(Photo Credit: Ronja Krebs)